Machine for making baskets



' July 31, 1928.

-2 Sh eetsv-Shegt 1 E CRAIG MACHINE FOR MAKING BASKETS Filed March 26, 1924 wpw July 31, 1928.

E. CRAIG MACHINE FOR MAKING BASKETS Filed March 26, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zia/ 1mm Zda/Mat &w

Patented July 31, 1928.

UNHTED STATES EDWARD CRAIG, OF ST. JOSEPH,

PATENT OFFICE. v

MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T SARANAC AUTOMATIC MA- CHINE CORPORATION, OF BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE.

Application filed March 26, 1924. Serial No. 701,912.

This application is subordinate to and 2 covers an improvement upon the structures shown, described and claimed in the copending applications, Serial No. 699,233, filed March 14, 1924, and Serial No. 701,911,

filed March 26, 1924. a

This invention relates to the manufacture of receptacles, and preferably to the manufacture of baskets of that kind in which both ends of the basket are left open, the basket being frusto-conicalin shape, where- 'by two covers or closures are necessary for closing the basket, one cover being secured in place before the basket is filled, and then l the other cover being secured in place. after the basket is filled. I

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a simple, novel and improved machine for making receptacles, preferably baskets of the foregoing general character, by stapling or otherwise fastening the materials together on forms upon which the materials can be assembled, and whereby .the stapling mechanism or similar mechanism is stationary, while the forms are movable laterally and back and forth from one position to another, thereby to bring first one form and then the other into operative relation to the stapling or other fastener driving mechanism.

It is also an object toprovide certain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general efiiciency and the desirability of a basket mak- 5 ing machine having means and stationary stapling mechanism of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends,

the invention consists in the matters hereinafter 'set forth and claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,-'-

Fig; 1 is a plan'of a basket stapling machine, embodying the principles of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 in Fig. 1, showing the said machine in side elevation, with certain portions thereof in vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a perspective of one of the baskets made by said machine.

baek'and forth shifting.

'cover is necessary for each end of the basket therein.

with a ratchet wheel 19, as shown.

As thus illustrated, the invention com prises a machine body 1 of any suitable character, adapted to support the various operative parts in suitably elevated positions. thereon. The front of the machine has some horizontal guides 2 disposed in alignment with each other, and an angle bar 3 is arranged'to slide endwise in these guides, with similar guides 4 applied to the lower edges of said bar, in the manner shown. 6 This bar 3 is provided with a plurality of basket forms 5 suitably supported thereon, and adapted. to rotate about vertical axis.- mcmbers 6 suitably supported on said bar 3, or the said axis members may themselves rotate in the portions 7, which are rigid with said end wisereciprocating bar. Preferably, at least, there is friction enough be tween the basket forms and the parts by which they are supported to insure accurate positioning of the forms by. intermittent rotation thereof. Each form is provided with an upper ring 8, a middle ring 9, and a lower ring 10, the upper end of each form be ing smaller than its lower end, so that each form is frusto-conical in shape, with its smaller end uppermost. Inner hoops for the basket are placed against the rings 8 and 10, and then the staves 11 of the basket are placed in positionin the clips or holders 12 provided on each form, so that one vertical edge of each stave is tightly held, with the staves in overlapping relation, as shown in the finished basket. Then hoop strips are applied by the stapling mechanism, as will hereinafter more fully appear, to .form the hoops 13, 14 and 15, the staples 16 being clinched against the ring 10, while the staples 17 are clinched against thering 9, and the staples 18 are clinched against the ring 8 at the smaller end or top portion of the basket form. Thus the basket is made with its smaller end uppermost, and is open at each end thereof, whereby a closure or in order to maintain the contents in place For the rotation of each basket form, as will hereinafter more fully appear, the bottom of each form is provided vide'd for actuating the three staplers, in a manner, that will be readily understood, for these staplers can be of any suitable known or approved form. lit will be observed, however,'that the staplers are arranged at differ ent distances from the vertical axis of the basket form, so that these staplers are a uniform distance from the rings 8, 9 and 10, opposite which and in the planes of which rings the staplers are disposed in horizontal position to be operated or actuated by the rotation of the shaft. 24 previously mentioned.

For the making of the staples, wire is fed to the three staplers by the wire feed devices 27 of any suitable character, so that wire is fed through the guide 28 to the staplers in the usual and well known manner. These feed devices 27 are supported upon the bracket 23 previously mentioned, whereby the entire stapling and wire feeding mechanism is supported in stationary and forth so that the stapling mechanism will co-operate with first one form and then the other, and vice versa, gearing 29 is provided on a bracket 30 extending from the body of the machine, and a handle 31 is provided for the operation of this gearing; and an arm 32 connects the pinion of the gearing with a link 33 which is pivoted on the bar 3 in any suitable manner. By swinging the handle 31 back and forth the two basket forms can be made to change places, so to speak, so that first one form and then the other will occupy a position in front of the stapling mechanism. The length of the arm 32 may be such, for example, that when swung half way round from one diametrical position to the other, one basket form will be moved out of the way and" the other hasket form will be moved in operative relation to the stapling mechanism.

For the actuation of the basket forms, to rotate either form i termittently in front of the stapling mech nism, -while the basket materials are bei stapled, a ratchet pawl device 34 is p ovided for engagingv the ratchet Wheel 19 of either form, this pawl beingmounted on an arm 35 which is con-' nectecl bya pitman 36 to the eccentric device 37 onthe shaft 24 previously'mentioned. It

position to co-operate with either basket form.

For the shifting of the basket forms back nevaeee will be seen that the arm 35is so mounted and supported and connected'that reciprocation of the pitman 36 will cause actuation of the pawl 34 in a manner to intermittently rotate the ratchet wheel, and thereby the form, which is rigid with the ratchet wheel, in a manner to give the form a rotary feeding motion in front of the stapling mechanism. It will be understood, of course, that the form is stationary while the three staples are being simultaneously driven, and that the form then moves or rotates partially before the next set of staples is driven, the feeding motion of the form alternating with the stapling operation of the stapling mechanism.

The shaft 24 has its lower end provided with a bevel gear 38 which engages a bevel gear 39 on the horizontally disposed shaft 40, which latter is suitable mounted in bearings on the body frame of the machine. Theshaft 40 is provided with a driving pulley and can then be stopped as soon as the hasket is finished.

When a basket is finished, the operator will then use the handle 31 to shift the basket form carrier orsliding bar 3 in an endwise manner, thereby to substitute the fresh ly loaded form for the form upon which the basket has just been made or stapled, and the finished basket, having been moved out of operative relation to the stapling mechanism, can easily be lifted off from its form. Therefore, the lateral shifting motion of the for-ms serves not only to transfer either form from its stapling position to its loading position, but serves also to shift either form into position to have the finished basket thereon shifting movement produces clearance between the basket form and the stapling mechansm suflicient to permit the basket to be easily lifted therefrom, inasmuch as the v lifted straight up from the form upon which i position directly in front of the stapling mechanism.

The outer hoops of the basket are ,practically formed from strips, and for this purpose guides 45 are provided on the vertical member 46, which is supported at its upper end by' a bracket arm 47 secured to the previously mentioned bracket 23 mounted in a stationary position on the body frame of Thus it will be seen thattherelative move- I ment between the basket forms and the stapling mechanism is on a straight line, in view of the fact that the basket forms are mounted on the sliding member 3, which necessarily slides back and forth in a straight line. This relative movement does not interfere with the proper operation of the ratchet mechanism by which the basket forms are rotatedin a step b ste manner, for the ratchet pawl 34; 1s pivote on the end of the arm 35, as previously explained, and has a spring (not shown) which keeps the end of the pawl pressed against the ratchet wheel, so that regardless of the position of the ,arm 35 the pawl is always in engagement with the ratchet wheel. This arm 35 is pivoted between its ends on some suitable stationary portion of the machine,'as shown, so that when the rod '36 is pulled backward toward the shaft 24, the toggle joint between the pawl 34 and the arm 35 permits the pawl to be pulled backward over ,the teeth of the ratchet wheel, to engage another tooth. But when the rod 36 is pushed away from the shaft 24, the toggle joint will straighten out and cause the pawl 34 to extend itself endwise and thereby push the ratchet wheel 19 P around one step, and thus turn the basket form one step, in a manner that will be readily HIIdGIStOOt Thus the relative movement between the basket forms and stapling mechanism is on a straight line extended at right angles to the length of the staplers, and the axes of the two basket forms are lo cated on a straight line which is parallel with' the guides 2 in which the member 3 slides back and forth.

What I claim as my invention is:

' 1. In a machine for making receptacles, the combination of a plurality of forms upon which the receptacles are made, fastener driving mechanism to insert fasteners into each receptacle, instrumentalities having rotation of said forms and devices for causing straight line relatl e movement between said forms and said fastener driving mechanism,

tary actuating mean for operating said mechanism and foifising step by step rowhereby said mechanism and each form may be brought into operative relation other, with said mechanism disposed between to each instrumentalities said line and said instrumentalities, and whereby one form may be loaded while another form is co-operating with said mechanism, said mechanism being disposed between said-straight line and the axis of said rotary actuating means.

2. A structure as specified in claim 1, each of said forms being frusto-conical in shape with the smaller end thereof uppermost, thereby to produce fru'sto-conical baskets, and each form having means to support top and bottom inside basket hoops in position,

with the said bottom hoop of smaller diameter and above thelarger top hoop, in combination with means to feed hoop strips between said mechanism and the materials on the form in operative relation thereto, whereby the automatic rotation of either form will bend hoop strips around the basket being made thereon, and will cause fasteners to be driven in said hoop strips to fasten the same to said basket, said mechanism being disposed in. position to operate upon the hoops of different diameters.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, said forms being movable bodily to accomplish said relative movement, and said mechanism being stationary, whereby first one form and then another is brought into op erative relation to said mechanism by bodily inovement of all the forms in a straight 4. A structure as specified in claim 1, said including a shaft for actuating said mechanism, and ratchet means actuated by means on said shaft to give each form a step by step means including a pawl and a ratchet wheel on each form adapted to be brought interchanlgeably into operative relation with said back and forth in a straight line, and hand-- operated connections for shifting said member to move one form out of operative relation to said mechanism and to move another form into operative relation thereto, whereby the forms are manually controllable to bring any form into operative relation to the stationary fastener driving mechanism.

6. A structure as specified in claim 1, wherein each form has two positions, one position for the loading thereof and the other position for co-operation with said mechanism, and the operative position of each form being with its axis extending vertically in front of said mechanism, so that the two forms alternately occupy this position and have said axis in common, whereas each form has its own individual loading position.

5. A structure as specified in claim 1, said devices including a movable member upon rotation, said ratchet 6 devices whereby to afford straight line relative back and. forth movement between said form and said mechanism, by lateral movement of the form while said mechanism remains stationary, so that the form may be moved into andout of operative relation to said mechanism, and instrumentalities having rotary actuating means whereby to operate 'saidmechanism and intermittently rotate said form, when the form is in operative relation to said mechanism, with said mechanism disposed between the path of movement of said forms and the axis of said rotary means;

8. A structure as specified in claim 7, said form being a frusto-conical basket form withits smaller end'uppermost, therebyto make frusto-conical baskets upside down, and said mechanism being a plurality of staplers having guides to direct hoop strips around the basket, to form hoops of diiierent diameters, between the walls of thebasket and the staplers, whereby the staplers are operative to convert the hoop strips into hoops encircling the basket externally thereof, by the successive insertion of staples --in each hoop, and said stapler hoop guides being disposed parallel to said straight line and at different distances from the vertically disposed axis of said form.

9. A structure as specified in claim 7 said form being frusto-conieal and mounted to rotate about a Vertical axis, with its smaller end uppermost, thereby to make frustoconical baskets upside down, and said mechanism comprising a plurality of staplers disposed at right angles to said straight line and at different distances from the axis of said form, in non-uniform relation to said vertical axis of said rotary means, whereby to insert a plurality of staples simultaneously in the side of the basket each time the form is stationary, and thereby forming a plurality of circular rows of staples as a result of the operation of said mechanism and the step by step rotation of the form;

10. the combination-of a rotary form upon which to make the receptacles, fastener driving mechanism. devices whereby to shift said form laterally into and out of operative relation to said mechanism, by back and forth motion in a straight line, and means having a-vertically disposed axis of rotation and operative to intermittently rotate the form about a vertically disposed axis during the operation of said mechanism.

11. In a stapling machine of the class disclosed a plurality of rotary forms disposed a fixed distance apart, means for moving said forms bodily, on a. straight line intersecting n a machine for making receptacles,

the axes of the forms, and means for rotating said-forms one at a time, about vertically disposed axes, each form having an idle position whichis never occupied by the other form, the said axes of the forms alternately occupying exactly the same position for the stapling operation,.in combination with stapling mechanism disposed in posi tion to operate horizontally, and rotary actuating means for said-mechanism, said stapling mechanism being disposed between the path of movement of said forms and the axis of said actuating means, and the idle position of each formv being farther from said actuating means than said stapling position.

12. A structure as specified in claim 11, said actuating means havinga vertically disposed axis parallel with the axes of said formsf 13. A structure as specified in claim 11.

said mechanism comprising a plurality of staplers disposed one above another to simultaneously insert a plurality of staples one above another in the work on each form, operating at right angles to said straight line. and said actuating means comprising a vertically disposed shaft parallel with said axes.

14. In a stapling machine of the class disclosed, a plurality of rotary forms disposed I 'a fixed distance apart, means for moving said forms bodily, and means for rotating said forms one at a. time, disposed axesyeach form having an idle position which is never occupied by theother form, thesaid axes of the forms alternately occupying exactly the same position for the stapling operation, in combination with stapling mechanism disposed in position to operate horizontally, and-actuating means for said mechanism, said stapling mechanism about vertically being disposed between said forms and said actuating means.

15. A structure as specified in claim 14, said actuating means having a vertically disposed axis relative to which said forms are movable bodily.

16. A structure as specified in claim 14, said mechanism comprising a lurality of staplers disposed one above anot er to simultaneously insert a plurality of staples one above another in the work on each form, said actuating means having an axis parallel with said axes 17. In a machine for. making basket, a

plurality of basket forms rotatable aboutvertically disposed axes and mounted a fixed distance apart, a stapling mechanism for operation alternately with said forms, disposed horizontally, means for causing rela-- tive back and forth movement between saidforms and mechanism, whereby said mechanism may operate with either form while the other form is being loaded, a vertically dissaid shaft, said mechanism being shaft means on said shaft to and means to rotate disposed between said shaft and said forms, said means for causing said relative movement comprising a movable support for said forms and a guide for said support, whereby the posed rotary actuate said mechanism,

port back and forth to bring first one and 10 then another of said forms into relation to said mechanism.

EDWARD CRAIG,

operative 

